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by the_protector_of_light



Category: Final Fantasy VII, Kingdom Hearts
Genre: Bittersweet, Character Study, Cloud/Leon established relationship, Cloud/Tifa and Cloud/Zack past relationships, F/M, Gen, M/M, Multiverses, One Shot, Romance not the central plot, ending could be happy or sad depending on your thoughts
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-05-25
Updated: 2019-05-25
Packaged: 2020-03-17 09:31:59
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,213
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18962554
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/the_protector_of_light/pseuds/the_protector_of_light
Summary: Cloud Strife—the famed hero who has appeared in many universes and had a major part in their paths—is once again torn from a universe when he had just gotten comfortable. He should have expected it…it always happened without fail. It’s his job—fill a role, participate, then off to where the multiverse wants him. But this universe was one he will miss more than almost any other…but he can never do what he wants for very long.Squall ‘Leon’ Leonhart of Radiant Garden wakes up to find his fiancé missing and sets out to find him.(Long story short, based on Cloud appearing in so many different games.)





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**Author's Note:**

> This came from a dream and was written in three hours. It doesn't have to make sense. Enjoy.

(Cloud)

Cloud woke up standing in a field of flowers. Their hues of various colors, like a rainbow of life, stood out strongly against the green of the grass and bushes around. Of all the places in all the universes, Cloud knew this place best…he simply called it ‘Home’.

‘Home’ was the nexus of the multiverse; it was where Cloud truly belonged, not so many different worlds where he had been placed so many times before and would be so many times in the future…but he didn’t feel happy to be here this time. He felt hollow and empty. He always did at first, missing the people he had been with, missing the life he had lived there…but this time, he had more—more than he had ever had…and now it was gone. He would never have it back. He would never have _him_ back.

“I’m sorry, Leon. I should’ve told you…you of all people, I could have trusted.” He wanted to tell him—he really did—but something always tugged on the back of his mind…what if he thought he was insane? Sometimes, he already did…he probably would’ve kept him around anyway. Now, it was too late. He had vanished from Radiant Garden, disappeared leaving all traces he had existed behind to linger in the memories of those who would always wonder where he had gone. Just like always. And he’d never see that version of Leon again—just like always, it would be Squall Leonhart, the fighter from another realm…Always with the same other people, no one knowing each other, everyone strangers in a strange land…all but him, who had to pretend.

Cloud sighed and started walking. This world wasn’t entirely empty; sometimes, when worlds ended, when someone had played their part in every universe, they came here…never anyone he knew, of course, he couldn’t be so lucky. It didn’t matter, anyway. He would probably be here a short time—days, months, maybe even a year or two—and then once again he would be dragged to some strange world, some strange universe or multiverse, and what would it be? An actual life, or just another battle to fight?

…Of all the lives he had lived in, the universe of interconnected worlds where he had just left would be the one he’d miss the most, outplacing the previous standby of the first universe he had been sent to, even though he hadn’t spend nearly as long there as he had on Gaia. Because of one thing, one person…one person who he cared about more than anyone in any other lifetime, any other universe…

He walked onward, through the field of flowers, until it came to be in a town. There, people lived. Not much time seemed to have passed here. This was the one place where people remembered like he did…it was comforting to know he might have been remembered by someone, though the one person who had so far, he hadn’t been too fond of. Sephiroth was from here, too, and sometimes they were friends, but more often foes…if he was here now, Cloud wasn’t sure how he would feel to see him. There were a few others—namely Merlin—but he tended to avoid them as much as possible.

“Cloud!” a girl called. Cloud turned to look at her. This girl had been here a long time, and she always waited for him to return…he didn’t know why so many people here cared about him specifically, but here there were many who awaited his return.

“Hi Claire,” Cloud said with a smile.

“You’re back!” she said. “How long this time?”

“I never know.”

“I know, I know…” she laughed. She was a teenager—everyone who resided here was caught in the time that their main universe ceased to exist. Claire would never grow up, just like every child here… “But you didn’t forget me!”

“I never forget anyone who matters,” Cloud replied. “Not when I’m here.”

“I know…” She paused. “Hey…I think some people showed up who might know you…” she said. “The girl said something about coming from the ruins of Midgar—some place called Haven. And the guy…she knew he when he showed up, and he was confused. Apparently, he had been in their world’s afterlife. Something called…the lifestream?”

Cloud froze. “No…” Was Gaia…gone? All universes ended, he supposed…it was bound to happen eventually. He shook his head. “I don’t know everyone from every world I’ve been to,” Cloud replied.

“You should check, though. You always do,” Claire said with a shrug. “I’ll take you to them. They stuck together because they knew each other.”

Cloud nodded. “All right.”

She took him to a building—the architecture was unmistakably from Gaia…

“Hey Tifa, Zack—are you home?” Claire called into the doorway.

Cloud froze…no…would the multiverse not even let him mourn one love before making two appear?

“We’re in here,” Tifa called, her voice unmistakable.

“Come on in,” Zack added.

Claire looked over at Cloud. “C’mon, why are you so cautious?”

Cloud swallowed and smiled. “Right.” Claire led him in the door.

Zack was sitting on an old couch in the front room—Tifa was apparently elsewhere—but when Zack saw him, his eyes widened. “Cloud?” he breathed.

“Cloud?” Tifa called out from the other room, rushing through the doorway. She stared for only a moment before her eyes filled with tears and she ran over and hugged him. “You’re here!”

Cloud stood stiff for a moment before slowly hugging her back. She buried her face in his chest, only making Cloud’s heart fall even more. This was Gaia’s Tifa.

Zack walked over and put a hand on Cloud’s shoulder. “You okay?” he asked. “You don’t look…happy.”

“Gaia is gone. Why would I be happy?” Cloud said simply.

“But…we’re here. Which means everyone else is too…right?” Zack asked, a hopeful look on his face.

Cloud shook his head and let go of Tifa, who stepped back looking concerned. “That’s not…how this works.”

“Huh?”

Claire cleared her throat. “You didn’t know? This is where people go when they have no timelines left to follow,” she said to Tifa and Zack.

“No…timelines left to follow?” Zack asked slowly.

“I know where Aerith is—Yuffie too. They aren’t here. They still have a timeline to follow,” Cloud replied simply. “As for the others…I have no idea if they’d be here or not.”

“A timeline left to follow…” Tifa said. To Cloud’s surprise, neither of them looked at him like he was crazy. Had they been here long enough to adjust?

Claire tugged on Cloud’s sleeve. “So Cloud, where were you this time?”

Cloud turned to face her. “It was…unique.”

“I’m gonna need more details than that,” Claire teased.

Cloud smiled. “It was a universe with multiple worlds, all interconnected. Not like a multiverse—everyone was only in one place at a time. But there were so many small worlds, fragmented instead of united.”  He paused. “But I saw many people I knew from other universes.”

“Anyone know you?”

“Of course not…Except Sephiroth, of course.”

“Sephiroth?!” Tifa and Zack said at the same time.

“Another multiverse traveler,” Claire said. “Just…not always as nice as Cloud.”

“…Multiverse traveler?” Tifa asked.

“…Yes,” Cloud replied. “For whatever reason, I was created here, in the nexus…and as the multiverse wills it, I am thrown elsewhere to fill a place there; to watch, to maintain…to keep things on path.”

“Cloud…” Tifa said.

“Many people exist in multiple universes living separate lives…I’m the only one in one place at a time, the only one who remembers.” Cloud sighed. “Gaia was the first timeline I was placed in.”

“So you didn’t leave…” Tifa said happily. “You didn’t just get tired of us and leave…”

“Of course not!” Cloud protested. “I’d never—”

“You did it before,” Tifa interrupted.

“But I always came back!”

Tifa studied him for a moment before nodding.

Zack cleared his throat. “I’m very confused.”

“Understandably so,” Cloud said with a shrug.

Claire nodded. “I remember how confused I was when I first showed up. You’ll figure it out. Cloud helps everyone when he’s around.”

Zack studied Cloud carefully. “You seem sad.”

Cloud shook his head. “It’s nothing. Just…forced out of a place I liked is all.”

Zack nodded. “I totally understand that.”

Tifa shook her head. “If not everyone is here…what are we going to do?”

“Hey, cheer up, Tifa—we have each other, and now we have Cloud,” Zack said with a grin.

Claire looked between all of them before sighing. “I’m going to go…I’ll meet up with you after a while, Cloud. Introduce you to everyone new.”

Cloud frowned. “Right…”

“We do…” Tifa said with a smile.

“…I can’t promise how long I’ll be here,” Cloud said after a moment.

“What?” Zack asked.

“I don’t choose when I get sent to another universe—and sometimes I’m gone for a few days, sometimes years…I can’t control where the multiverse sends me.”

“That’s not fair!” Zack said. “Who makes you go? I’ll make ‘em stop.”

Cloud shook his head. “If there was any way to stop it, I wouldn’t be here today.”

“Huh?” Tifa looked puzzled and hurt.

Cloud looked down. “I was…happy. Like I was on Gaia… Why would I ever want to leave that?”

 

(Leon)

“Cloud?” Leon called out sleepily into the house. The bed had been empty next to him where he would’ve sworn only moments before his fiancé had lay. ( _Humor him; it’s what you want, too,_ Cloud’s mind had told him at the proposal. The other half disagreed. _It’ll only hurt him worse when you leave…)_

Leon searched the house to no sign; he got dressed and searched the entire world—nothing. He wasn’t anywhere. He called up Merlin and got him to return to Hollow Bastion long enough to talk. Merlin seemed unperturbed.

“He wasn’t of this world,” Merlin told Leon.

“What do you mean? I know he grew up here,” Leon disagreed. Though they hadn’t really known each other until the battle of a thousand heartless, when Leon had fallen for him, he knew he had been around throughout their lives. He wasn’t from a different world.

“World isn’t the word I’m looking for…hmm…” Merlin rubbed his beard. “Realm?”

“Realm…?”

“Let’s see…” Merlin conjured a thick book. On the front, it said simply ‘multiverse’. Merlin cleared his throat. “Well, you see, Leon…there are many universes, and many timelines of each universe. People exist in many universes at once…with a few exceptions.” Merlin paused. “Cloud is one of those exceptions. Tied to so many universes with no escape, thrown back and forth between worlds…I only read about it recently.”

“He’s in this book?”

“Not literally, but yes.” Merlin shook his head. “It’s all very complicated—”

“Why didn’t he tell me?”

“That I don’t know,” Merlin replied.

Leon clenched his fists. “How do I find him? I’m getting him back.”

“Eh?” Merlin straightened his glasses. “But Leon, that’s simply not possible. This version of you is tied to this universe and cannot leave.”

“There has to be some way…” Leon shook his head. “He wouldn’t have just left on his own. Something stole him.”

“I don’t doubt it,” Merlin agreed. “But there’s simply not—” He paused. “Wait…no, it wouldn’t be safe for someone like you.”

“What’s that supposed to mean?” Leon crossed his arms.

“Now, now, don’t take offence. You’re just not used to traveling even between realms, let alone universes.”

“…Like the realm of darkness, light, and sleep?”

“That’s what I mean by realm. But that’s not where Cloud is.” Merlin tilted his head. “I mean…”

“So you know where he is.” Leon shook his head.

“Yes, and you can’t get him back. He doesn’t have free travel like I do,” Merlin said sadly.

“…Can I at least say goodbye?” Leon asked. Half a lie—he didn’t intend to come back without Cloud…somehow, he would manage to bring him back.

Merlin sighed and adjusted his hat. “I’ll see what I can manage.”

“Just…send me where he is; and tell me how to get back.”

“I’m going with you,” Merlin disagreed. “Now, I won’t babysit you, but I’m setting a time limit. And I want to be there to get you out if something goes wrong.”

Leon crossed his arms. “All right.” He’d have to make it work.

“Now, I should warn you—you might see people you think you know, but they don’t know you, I can guarantee it. So…you can say hi, but know they might be looking at a stranger.”

“…Right.”

“Let’s go,” Merlin said, setting the book on the ground and opening a strange portal. They walked through.

 

(Cloud)

Cloud came back to Tifa and Zack’s house after visiting the rest of town—they had gone with him to do that, too. It seemed they weren’t ready to let him out of their sight when they knew he could be gone at any moment. It made Cloud a bit uneasy. Though no time had passed for them, hundreds of universes had flown past for Cloud—mostly multiverses in themselves where he was brought to fight a dire force, but some, like the last one, where he had an actual life. Just…usually he didn’t let himself relax so much.

Both Tifa and Zack—they were still in love with him (and seemed willing to share), when Cloud…his heart belonged to someone else now. He had noticed the ring was on his finger and taken it off when they weren’t looking, putting it carefully in his pocket so as not to lose it. One memento he didn’t want to let go of.

Tifa and Zack couldn’t understand—they kept talking to him like they had seen him a few months ago, or a few years at most, and Cloud didn’t have the heart to tell them those feelings beyond friendship had long been let go of. Cloud didn’t want to explain how it was annoying to have them following him everywhere, hanging on his every word, looking at him like the moon. While it was good to see someone he knew, he wasn’t ready to move on and accept this as reality.

He told them some about the multiverses—it wouldn’t cause any harm here. Everyone knew. He didn’t tell them he knew them elsewhere, as that would be too confusing. They listened intently. It was nice to have someone listen to the truth. Their faces showed fascination, not pity—no one ever thought of the consequences of constantly jumping from place to place. Cloud did his best not to let his melancholy mood show, but they seemed to notice.

“You really were happy where you were, huh?” Zack noted.

“Yes,” Cloud said. “Don’t get me wrong, it’s good to see you, but knowing that your timelines are done is…hard. And knowing I’ll never go back to where I was is worse.” He sighed. “I was happy on Gaia, but that’s been…lifetimes ago.”

Realization crossed Tifa’s face. “You’re mourning something.”

Cloud nodded. “A life that could have been.”

Zack blinked. “Has it really been that long?”

“Yes.” Cloud looked down at the floor.

Tifa tried to look into his face. “It’s okay, Cloud…if you don’t love us anymore…”

Zack nodded. “Yeah…I’m sure a lot has happened.”

Cloud looked over at them before smiling. “Thanks…”

There were voices outside. “Now, now, stop running! You don’t even know where he is,” Merlin said to someone.

“You gave me a time limit, I’m sure as hell not going to end up not finding him!”

Cloud’s eyes widened. “Leon?” he breathed. He stood up and walked over to the doorway, feeling Zack and Tifa watching him carefully.

There in the street, being chased by a low on breath old wizard, was Leon, being stared at by various inhabitants of ‘Home’.

“Leon!” Cloud snapped. “What the hell are you doing here?”

Leon stopped in his tracks and turned around. “Cloud!” he said happily, rushing over.

Merlin followed behind him. “Err, sorry…” Merlin said, adjusting his hat. “He wanted to say goodbye.”

Discreetly, and unnoticed by at least Leon, Cloud reached into his pocket and put the engagement ring back on. “Yeah…I doubt that’s the only reason he came.”

Leon rubbed the back of his head for a moment, looking unsure before nodding. “You have to come back.”

Cloud swallowed. “I want to…but I can’t.”

“Why not?”

“It’s not my choice.”

“Then who the hell is making the decisions?”

Cloud sighed and shook his head. “I don’t know.”

“Well, let’s figure it out, and let’s go home.”

“No, you’re going home,” Cloud replied dully.

“Yes, yes!” Merlin said. “You said you wanted to say goodbye! That’s the only reason I agreed to bring you.”

“I’m not leaving without Cloud,” Leon argued.

Cloud fought laughter—there wasn’t humor in this scenario, but he felt overwhelmed by this whole day. Coming back here, finding out Gaia was gone, being followed around like ducklings by old loves that had just now accepted that he might have moved on…it was too much.

“I can’t,” Cloud repeated sadly.

“Yes, you can!” Leon shook his head. “Why didn’t you tell me?”

“I have no excuse.” Cloud shook his head. “I should have told you. I shouldn’t have let you get so close, knowing that one day I would be torn away…”

Cloud heard Zack and Tifa both say “Oh…” quietly to each other.

Merlin shook his head. “I’m sorry, Cloud. I didn’t mean to cause any trouble…”

Cloud sighed and looked down. “Take him home.”

“What?” Leon breathed. “I’m not going without you!”

“I want to come, but I can’t,” Cloud replied.

“…Can you at least try?” Leon looked at him pleadingly.

Cloud blinked. “Try?”

“Yeah. Merlin take both of us back…see if you leave again…and if you do, I’ll let you go.”

The thought had never occurred to him. He glanced back at Tifa and Zack. “Do it,” Tifa said.

Zack nodded. “We’ll be okay.”

Cloud nodded and turned back to Leon. “Okay…”

Leon nodded and grabbed Cloud’s hand, turning to Merlin. “Let’s go before he changes his mind.”

Merlin adjusted his glasses. “Good thing I don’t worry too much about meddling…” he said under his breath, conjuring a portal. “Now, us three go through, and nobody else.”

“Of course,” Leon said. He tugged Cloud through the portal.

They emerged in their house, where Merlin had met with Leon. Leon pulled Cloud to look into his eyes. “Tell me everything before you go.”

Cloud nodded. “Everything.”

Merlin waved. “Leon, we’re never making a deal again,” he chided as he headed out the door.

Leon kissed Cloud’s forehead. “Let’s make the most of the time we have…”

Cloud looked away. “I’m sorry…”

“No…” Leon put his hand on Cloud’s chin to turn him to face him again. “It doesn’t matter. We’ll just…use what we have.”

Cloud nodded. “Right.”

And so, for now, Cloud was right back where he really wanted to be.


End file.
